1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a cleaning and disinfecting method and apparatus and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for cleaning and disinfecting spineboards.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Spineboards are used by medical personnel, particularly paramedics, to transport injured persons from an accident scene to a hospital when there is a possibility of a spinal injury. The spineboards, which are typically made of plastic or fiberglass, help immobilize the spine during transport to prevent or further aggravate spinal injuries, which can result in paralysis.
Spineboards frequently come into contact with blood and other contaminants during use and, thus, must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected after each use. Presently, however, such cleaning methods typically consist of personnel standing the spineboards against a wall and manually spraying and scrubbing the spineboards with a disinfectant solution. Such methods are obviously time-consuming and inefficient, and pose serious health risks to the persons manually cleaning the spineboards. In addition, the contaminants washed from the spineboards and the disinfectant solution are typically left to drain into the ground or into sewers, which also poses serious health risks.